Iron Man 3 to Get Smell-Enhanced Screenings in Japan

Smell ya later. Iron Man 3 is getting "odor effects" for some Japan screenings -- tech that reportedly isn't coming to the U.S. until later this year. Image courtesy Marvel Studios

It’s really hard to tell, but Tony Stark always seemed like the kind of guy who would smell nice. After all, if you’re a billionaire playboy you can probably step your game up a few clicks past Drakkar Noir. Still, up until know it’s been hard to imagine exactly what the man inside the suit would smell like, mostly because you can’t smell movie characters. That could soon change for theater-goers in Japan.

The odor-enhanced screenings, which begin later this month in the central Japan town, will cost an additional 1,300 yen (about $13) on top of the regular ticket price for 3-D films, and additional an $10 (around 1,000 yen) for 2-D screenings. The Kronoa World chain, which runs the theater offering the enhanced version, plans to offer a dozen films a year in the format, with Iron Man 3 to be the first in Japan.

The “fourth dimension” system is currently in theaters in Thailand, Russia, Mexico, Israel, China, South Korea and a few South American countries and, according to the Reporter is slated to come to the U.S. later this year. But lest it appear that America is late to the party, remember that there were versions of aroma-enhanced movies in the U.S. going back to the early 20th century; during screenings of The Broadway Melody in 1929 a New York theater sprayed perfume from the ceiling and audience members got scratch-and-sniff cards during screenings of John Waters’ 1981 film Polyester. Plus director William Castle had more movie gimmicks than audiences knew what to do with (seat belts, anyone?). But you’ll notice, few-to-none of these shticks still exist in American multiplexes, so only time will tell how well 4DX fares on these shores.

Nagoya gets its extra-dimensional screenings starting April 26. Iron Man 3 gets its unscented 3-D and 2-D release in the States on May 3.